


Sleeping Dogs Lie

by JustVisible



Series: When the Devil Cries [5]
Category: Devil May Cry
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, M/M, Organized Crime, Rentboys, more tags to come
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-07
Updated: 2018-08-26
Packaged: 2019-05-03 14:53:38
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,569
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14571411
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JustVisible/pseuds/JustVisible
Summary: 5 Months After Dante took on Nero, the kid now starts to see what his new job really entails.





	1. Prelude: Five Months Later

After Dante hired Nero, it had all been full throttle. It was as if someone had administered a shot of adrenaline straight into Nero’s chest. It was time to finally start putting both hands on the wheel of his life. If not, he was going to be driven off a fucking cliff and killed by his own stupidity. Gone and out.

He’d been drifting through life as little more than product, but now he had to act like he was human. Like he wasn't just an animal following the scent of bait everywhere he went. Now he had to learn how to play the game himself. To protect those he loved, he needed to _win_.

“Four of a kind, baby!” Nero shouted before sitting back in his chair and bathing in the outcries of his opponents.

The gent to his left covered his face with his hands. Another started hitting the table, as if abusing the furniture would get him his money back. One man with short cropped hair and a heavy southern accent cried _no_ three times, before clicking his big fingers at Nero and demanding they play again. Trish merely shook her head before gathering all the cards and sliding the cash on the table over to Nero. Lady — who was sitting across from Nero — was easily the most livid.

“This is bullshit!” She yelled, outdoing the other gunsel's volume by five notches, “How the fuck did that happen? You didn’t even know the difference between a flush and a straight ten minutes ago and now you're pulling this shit!?”

The kid just shrugged and crossed his legs in the figure four, “beginner’s luck.”

Which only served to heat her up further, “The beginner can go blow himself!”

“Alright,” Trish sighed, touching Lady’s shoulder, “Take a seat now, precious, before you burst a blood vessel in your pretty face.”

She did as she was told, still mumbling, _‘fucking bullshit,’_ under her breathe.

A knock came at the door, interrupting their break, as the new blood came in.

"What is it?" Which oddly enough came from the one man in the room who opted to watch the telly above the wet bar instead of playing Texas Hold 'em.  
  
A bit out of breathe, the new guy stammered to tell them that Dante was heading down to the Sparda home; they all needed to get moving.

It had finally happened. Something had gone down. Which silenced the room and kicked everyone straight into gear. Bags were packed, the money was stashed and their guns were loaded before being conspicuously holstered away.

Dante was 'escorted' into the black coupé by Trish. Trish stated that a four seater would be safer, and that she should drive. Dante merely stared at her for a long moment, before turning the car on and revving the engine. Then he drove off with the stereo blaring. As if his cares were gone in the night sky. She counted her blessing that he hadn't gone for the convertible.

The rest of his troupe fell into formation on the road, with Lady driving her motorbike at the front of the convoy. This meant she was directly in front of Dante’s car, the street lights glancing off her helmet and into his eyes. Dante gave her a cheeky little honk to show his appreciation of the view. She flipped him the bird without looking back.

A four-seater drove up behind Dante. This car was filled to the point of bursting with literal muscle; five heavies in total, which meant three big guys were cramped in a backseat made for two, half their mass. The new blood sat sandwiched in the middle, completely blocking the rear window with his fat head.

Then there was Nero.

It had taken him a little bit of time, but he’d figured out his place soon enough. He brought up the rear of the convoy on a black motorbike of his own. He loved the bike, really, despite the hassle that went into getting it. Or more accurately, accepting it.

But now, with the wind in his face and trying to peer past the car in front to see the one his boss was in, he kinda wished he was higher in the pecking order.

In a way, he was doing pretty good. He supposed he was higher than those in the other car, but still bellow Trish and Lady. He’d already been given the pep talk on his responsibilities, that he can’t space out while he’s on the bike, unlike the muscles in the car. Him and lady are their eyes and ears, but also the first line of offense should anything happen on the road. It’s a position that isn’t handed to just anyone.

That wasn’t good enough for him though. He didn’t want to be out here in the elements, staring at the silhouettes of the goons in front. He wanted to be in the seat next to Dante, so he can crack a joke, grab a thigh, or just look at him and settle the nerves in his stomach.  
  
There had been plenty of back and forth between the twins for the past few months, but it was always through greedy messenger pigeons, it seemed. Dante had never gone down there himself, nor had Vergil come up to see him, now that Nero thought about it. The kid just wished he could ask Dante what was going on. He also wished he had the brains to understand if he _did_ choose to explain, but it was all so complicated. His boss just seemed to live in a completely different world. Even after he'd seemingly been invited in, he still felt like a stranger.  
  
For what was to come, no one could claim he didn't do his best to prepare.


	2. The Gauntlet

Let’s go back. After Dante hired Nero, it was five months of training. Five months of - what most boys on the streets had dubbed - The Gauntlet.

All the fresh bloods that were ‘hired’ to be going through The Gauntlet were first instructed to meet up at an abandoned meat packing plant. An industrial building just off the coast, in the middle of probably the most downbeat part of the slums that the rest of the city region tries to forget is still there.

The boys gathered together like herded sheep in the middle of a slaughterhouse, surrounded by a circle of hired muscle. _Actual_ hired muscle; tough guys who’d already passed the test that they were about to endure.

The low snickering that echoed around gave away just how much they were looking forward to seeing it happen all over again, but to someone else.

Lady stood atop the inactive meat conveyor belt, her fingers around a hanging hook as if she was just minding her own business on the subway. She came off as imposing, especially with her skorpion pistol hanging by her hip, accompanied by a skirt of magazines. The boys looked up at her, some with fear, some with lust. All of which she ignored.

Lady never liked the first round, because it was something she had to be there for. She had to stand there, look into a sea of new faces, into eyes so big she could see straight into empty heads and try not to see herself.

Nero was in the crowd too. Looking into his eyes didn’t reveal much. They weren’t big enough to read.

The boy standing next to him bumped elbows to get his attention. It was a mousey, frail little twunk with a deep tan and scars on his ears. He looked as if butter wouldn’t melt in his mouth. Clearly, mousey wanted to make friends. Nero glanced at him but didn’t offer much in return. They were eye to eye and of similar build, however, Nero had a bit more muscle to him. Which could mean a little bit more protection. Clearly, there was a plan there that didn’t work out for mousey.

Which gave lady an idea of where to start.

She raised her voice, “Alright cocksuckers, listen up!”

The hum and shuffling stopped. She continued,

“You’re here maybe because a friend of a friend tipped you off and now you’ve been hired. You think you’re being offered a job with some pretty comfortable pay for the foreseeable future. Am I wrong?”

She didn't get an answer from the crowd. It was obvious she was boring them so far. Which wasn’t about to get any better, considering her tact. She dropped her hand from the hook and tried to make herself louder and bigger. “Well, whatever you’ve heard, this is not going to be a walk in the park, nor is it going to be entirely clean.”

“No waaaaay,” someone spoke up, “I thought you were hiring desk clerks!”

A wave of hesitant chuckles passed through them, before Lady fired her handgun up.

The sound went off like a bomb. The crowd dropped as if the ceiling was going to come down on top of them, which was a legitimate concern, as some dust fell from above and settled on them.

Despite the jump scare, a few boys stayed standing, only a little startled but not shitting themselves. A big bloke in the back with a shaved head and a tattered scarf, Nero and - surprisingly enough - the mousey boy.

Lady continued like nothing happened, her voice now sounding soft in comparison; “I also know that some of you are here just because you’re bored, not because it’s your only option. Some of you think this is going to be fun, right? Getting shot and stabbed. Great fun. Well, I’m here to tell you that life is going to be a fucking nightmare for you. You’re going to get chewed up and spit out. Over and over again.

“So if you got someone who loves you, like if mummy and daddy are still alive, I suggest you crawl back to them. Beg for a loan, beg for help, beg for a future, beg for your dick back, whatever, I don't care, because this is not the place to be if you’ve got a home.”

Silence settled into her pause once the acoustics stopped. No one left.

Who would? To walk out now would be to show that Lady’s patronizing tone somehow got to them, it would be to show that you think you’re above everyone else in the crowd. Lady knew that, she did, but that didn't mean she wasn't frustrated.

“You mean to tell me that not _one_ of you fucking low lives has somewhere better to be?”

One guy chuckled, “Yeah, nah, hey?”

At that, everyone saw it safe to laugh.

“Yeah..." She laughed too, "...it seems you’re not getting my point.”

Lady then locked eyes with Nero. She pointed him out of the crowd, “you, up here, now.”

It was like parting the red sea. All the boys down the sights of her gloved finger stepped out of the way, until Nero was left alone, staring down the road being presented to him with disbelief.

“What’d I do?” He said, annoyed.

“Just get your ass up here,” Lady growled, "We don't got all day, man whore."

Nero rolled his eyes and walked forward. He got a few wolf whistles and quip remarks thrown at him as he went past. He reached Lady and stepped up onto the conveyor belt.

“What’s your name?” Lady asked.

“Nero,” He grumbled, “You know this.”

“No, you just mistook me for someone who cared enough to remember,” Lady lent into his ear before whispering, “You’re a dime a dozen, _kid._ Dante’s always bringing in boys like you to fuck while I’m on the clock. I don't have time to remember every single one.”

Right then Nero decided that he didn’t like Lady much. Then, she brought an undercut into his ribs.

Air was punched out of him like a popped birthday balloon. His knees buckled and he collapsed onto the belt. Drool spluttered from his lips as he struggled to catch his breath back, which was short and feeling like inhaling knives. He almost wanted to throw up from the pain.

“That, ladies, is a liver punch." Lady announced, "It’s perhaps one of the most painful experiences you’ll ever have in your life. You see, it’s a direct hit to a very sensitive cluster of nerves called the vagus nerve. Doesn’t matter how big you are, how much you train…”

She grabbed Nero by the scruff of his neck and pulled him up to show off the tears on his face, “...or how much of a masochist you are…”

She dropped him and he landed with a thunk, but no grunt. All of his thoughts was on how badly his stomach hurt.

“…it doesn't matter, because it's not about willpower. It’s just going to hurt. Like. A. Bitch.”

Everyone stared at Nero writhing in agony on the belt, before looking up at Lady with their full attention.  
  
She claps in faux excitement, “And guess what? Every single one of you pieces of shit are going to know what that feels like personally, _today_! Each one of you is gonna get punched in the liver, fucked in the ass and drowned to the point of blacking out before you’re even in spitting distance of your first fucking pay! Unless-…!”

She raises both hands and slaps a palm to her forehead dramatically, “…Of course! This was all some _wild_ mistake, and you’d rather that _didn’t_ happen to your precious virgin ass and you’re just going to head home now, _like the bitch you are.”_

The walls of the plant echoed that last sentence and the sound of Nero’s whimpering.

A couple very long seconds of listening to Nero ticked by, until finally, _finally_ , she had started to cull a few boys. In just a few minutes, two thirds of the crowd had peeled away and left. The ring of gunsels let them leave, laughing at their backs.

“I thought as much,” Lady muttered, rubbing her temple.

Mousey raised a hand.

Lady stared at him, “What is this, pre-school? What’d you want?”

Mousey blinked, “Oh…umm…” He dropped his hand.

Lady waved an arm, “Introduce yourself, go on.”

“W-what?”

“Introduce yourself.”

“Oh,” He looks around, “Hi, I’m Sam.”

“Say hi to Sam everybody,” Lady said.

It was a rolling wave of laughing and sing-songing _'hi Sam'_ in response.  
  
"Was that all you wanted to say, Sam?"

“Uh, no, um….” Sam coughed, “Did you say we had to…uh…are you saying w-we’re going to have to sleep with other...dudes?"  
  
Lady just looked at him.

“Yes, Sam, you are.”

“Oh…,” He looked around him at the other boys, “as in…right now?”

“Nope,” Lady clicked her fingers and the gunsels closed in, “Don’t you remember? We’re getting punched in the liver. Right now.”

A wave of uneasiness settled on the boys. Nero chuckled by the toes of her boots, and it was enough to take her by surprise.

“What a shame,” He muttered, flashing her a look from under his bangs, one that sent an uncomfortable shiver down her spine, “I’m ready to play…who's the biggest guy you've got?”  
  
"You're insane," Lady told him, "But don't push your luck."  
  
She stepped down from the conveyor belt and without looking at him said, "You've already passed the first round for being in the demo. Congratulations."


End file.
